New Delhi: The CBI on Wednesday summoned Gaurav Mehta, an audit company employee, in connection with the over Rs 6,000-crore Gain Bitcoin ponzi scam case registered by the agency on the directions of the Supreme Court, officials said.

CBI Intensifies Probe into High-Profile Bitcoin Scam

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has directed Mehta to appear before the investigating officer of the case as soon as possible, they said. The top court handed over the case to the CBI in December last year.

Multi-State Investigation Reveals Extent of Fraud

The agency has taken over the investigation into cases related to the Gain Bitcoin Ponzi scheme registered by various state police all over the country.

Maharashtra and Delhi police had registered multiple cases against Variable Tech Pte Ltd, Late Amit Bhardwaj and Ajay Bhardwaj and others for allegedly running multi-level-marketing (MLM) schemes through which they allegedly collected around Rs 6,600 crore in the form of Bitcoins in 2017 from gullible people while offering 10 per cent monthly return in the cryptocurrency.

Bitcoins, a cryptocurrency, are not controlled by any central bank of any country.

ED Expands Probe into Scam

The CBI notice to Mehta came close on the heels of searches conducted by the Enforcement Directorate at his premises.

The ED said it has widened its probe into the Gain Bitcoin ponzi scam case and was investigating the “links” of Mehta and some others with politicians, bureaucrats and politically exposed people.

Former IPS Officer’s Allegations Add Political Angle

Mehta’s name was also mentioned by former IPS officer Ravindranath Patil, who was arrested in a 2018 cryptocurrency “fraud” case being probed by the Pune Police.

In his complaint sent to the Election Commission via email, Patil said according to the chats, he claims to possess, it appears that hundreds of Bitcoins worth billions of rupees may have been pumped in the assembly polls and the previous Lok Sabha elections.

It also appears that Mehta currently has misappropriated Bitcoins, amounting to hundreds of crores of rupees, Patil has said in the complaint.

(With PTI inputs)